man: caltrans used to tell you that the freeways weren't unhealthy. well, now you see them putting the barrier walls and schools can't be located next to freeways anymore -- the health concerns. man: the fact of the matter is that by letting caltrans run amok over the last, you know, six decades or so, we ended up with twice as much of the l.a. county paved over as the average metropolitan area. [ bagpipes play ] poussaint: south pasadena, california, is a city of 23,000 people nestled in the vastness of los angeles county. woman: as far as south pasadena, we like to think of it as 10 minutes and 100 years from los angeles. poussaint: the city is renowned for its trees, neighborhoods, schools, and sense of community. woman: the school definitely adds to the sense of community and a sense of family, and pretty much, like, a groundedness in that, a base, that this is your home. we have a main street here. you walk your dog, you know your neighbors. it's so good for you to be known and loved and cared about. poussaint: but south pasadena is also renowned